Rapid generation and implementation of Dubins paths for fixed-wing UAVs

The Dubins curve holds significant application potential for fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) formation flying and obstacle avoidance. For the purpose of accelerating its practical application, a consistent method for generating Dubins paths of different dimensions suitable for fixed-wing UAV is proposed, and the corresponding flight experiments are verified. First, a computationally lightweight Dubins path generation approach, featuring a closed-form expression, is employed to plan feasible two-dimensional paths for UAVs. For the reasonably simplified three-dimensional path problem, different geometric methods are utilized to extend the 2D path vertically for different flight path angles, achieving a threedimensional path that meets all specified constraints. Thereafter, the integral flight experiment architecture that includes off-the-shelf hardware and elaborately designed software is suggested to realize the flight test. Finally, the comparative experiments of flight parameters were performed to determine the effect of different parameters on the path tracking results, especially tracking period and waypoint selection. The path flight experiments confirm that the fixed-wing UAV can effectively execute the planned path of different dimensions in a real complex environment. Moreover, the experiments reveal that fixed-wing UAVs have systematic lateral errors in tracking the Dubins path.